Toy pistol



Marh 17, 1953 w. F. LAUGHLIN TOY PlSTOI..`

Filed April 13, 1948 IN VEN TOR.

Patented Mar. 17, Y"1953 UNITED sTATEs PATENT oFFIcE TOY PISTOL William F. Laughlin, St. Charles, lll.

Application April 13, 1948, Serial No. 20,773

1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in semiautomatic toy pistols.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved semi-automatic toy pistol which will be provided with a magazine for holding a number of balls or pellets which will be shot from the pistol when the trigger of the pistol is actuated.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved semi-automatic toy pistol having a magazine for holding a number of balls or pellets and a spring projected plunger which may be manually cocked prior to the actuation of the pistol trigger for releasing the plunger to forcibly propel a ball or pellet from the pistol.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved semi-automatic toy pistol which will be quite accurate in use, and relatively inexpensive to manufacture and produce.

Other objects will appear as the description proceeds.

' In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this aapplication,

Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view through the improved semi-automatic toy pistol;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the improved semi-automatic toy pistol;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the improved semi-automatic toy pistol with a part thereof being broken away and in section to show the loading opening into the pistol magazine; and

Figure 4 is a sectional View taken on the line 44-4 of Figure l.

Like characters of reference are used throughout the following specification and the accompanying drawings to designate corresponding parts.

The semi-automatic toy pistol is generally designatedby the reference numeral I, and is formed by two substantially similar halves 2 and 3 withthe line of juncture extending longitudinally and vertically through the pistol I.

Securing screws 4 and 5 are adapted to extend through the cooperating halves 2 and 3 of the pistol I for holding the same in assembled position. f

A rear sight 6 and front sight I are supported upon the upper edge of the pistol barrel 8, being preferably formed integrally therewith.

The barrel 8 is hollowed out as at 9 and is formed with oppositely disposed longitudinally extending slots I and II through its side walls, and the forward end of the hollowed out portion 9 of the barrel 8 is slightly restricted to form an annular internal shoulder I2. The bore of the barrel thus is of two diameters. The advance end zone within which the missile has its movement is calibered to missile dimensions, while the bore in the rear thereof, in the rear of shoulder I2, is of larger diameter and of extended length, and is formed with the slots I0 and II on its opposite sides.

A plunger or missile-projecting element I3 having a rubber cap I4 attached to its forward end is slidably disposed in the hollowed out bore 9 of the barrel 8, and said plunger I3 is further provided with the integral oppositely disposed cocking grips I5 and I6 which extend laterally through the slots I0 and II in the barrel 8. The rear end of the plunger I3 is reduced at I1 to support the forward end of a strong coil power spring I8 disposed in the rear of the bore 9 of the barrel 8, and an annular groove or seat I9 is formed about the plunger I3 for engagement by the hooked trigger catch 28 on the end of the trigger 2l. The trigger 2| is pivotally supported upon the cross pin 22 and has its finger engaging end 23 disposed within the usual trigger guard 24 formed integrally with the pistol I. A small coiled trigger spring 25 is set in the pistol for engagement with the pin 2G on the trigger 2I for normally holding the same under resilient tension.

A magazine bore 21 is formed longitudinally of the pistol barrel 8 in parallel relation below the bore 9, and has its forward end curved upwardly to connect with the forward end of said bore 9.

A loading plunger 28 is slidably disposed in the magazine bore 21 and is formed with a laterally extending loading grip 29 which is slidably disposed in the longitudinal slot 30 formed through the barrel portion 8 of the pistol I.

The rear end of the loading plunger 28 is reduced at 3| and supports a coil loading spring 32 which is disposed in the rear of the magazine bore 21.

A rounded or concave seat 33 is formed in the front end of the loading plunger 28 for engagement with the balls or pellets 34 which are fed into the magazine bore 21 through the side loading opening 35. A cross rivet 36 is disposed ad- `iacent the front of the barrel 8 for holding the sections or halves 2 and 3 firmly assembled.

A stock or grip lportion 31 for the pistol I will be formed integrally with the barrel portion 8, and the pistol will resemble an automatic type of pistol.

In operation, the balls or pellets 34 will be fed through the side loading opening 35 into the magazine bore 21 after the loading plunger 28 has `been pulled back as far as possible, until no more balls or pellets 34 will go into the magazine bore 21. To shoot the pistol, the cocking grips I5 and I6 are pulled back until the trigger catch 20 is seated in the annular seat I9 in the plunger I3. Thereafter it is only necessary to pull the finger portion 23 of the trigger 2| and the plunger I3 will be forcibly projected -by the spring I8 to project the ball or pellet 34 from the pistol. The same procedure will be followed every time the pistol is to be red. All of the balls or pellets 34 except the last two may be projected by the pistol before it has to be reloaded.

From an inspection of Figure 1, it will be observed that the outer or foremost two end balls 34a and 34h are aligned transversely of the pistol body, with the end ball 34h alone positioned in the bore 9 of the barrel 8 at the extreme outer end thereof. -Attention is alsofcallled to` the fact that the "magazine 21 "holding the charge of ammunition or `balls communicates With the bore 9 of the barrel 8 at the outer end of the bore.

With an arrangement of this character, the end ball 34o is fired by impact when contacted by the rubber end I4 of the ring plunger 13. `By positioning the ball 34h to be fired at the extreme outer end of the barrel bore, friction between the ball and .barrel is Ipractically eliminated, 's'ovthat the ball travels a shorter distance Within lthe pistol Without friction 2 and has increased f power imparted thereto by the impact engagement therewith ofthe ring plunger.

The assemblage v thus `described presents a number ofcharacteristicfeatures-some ci which have been referredto, others of which will now be indicated. -Among these is therelative lengths of Ythe -calibered missile-discharging portiono lthe bore Aand-the largerv diameter portionin the rearof shoulder I2. As above pointed out, the lengthofthe former is comparatively short,` and is -calibered for themis-silewhich is assumed to -be'used withthe pistol. As shown,however, the lengthlofthe boreinfthe rear of such advance calibered zone lis comparativelydlong, a number of times `thelength of'sucuh advance zone, the vrear `endof the'bcre being located Aas extending on a plane*` materially rearward Yof va plane extendingon-therear face of .bore 21. This portion of bore Sgcontain-s thespring I8 and the plunger I3 yWhichiorms themissile-projecting element of the assemblage, and the length of this portion of the bore, in connection with thelength of the element, presents one of these characteristic `features, as Willbe -understoodfromthe followjwrPlunger or element I3 is` short in comparison withthe lengthofvthisiportion of the bore. As indicated in Fig. l, which shows the element in cocked position,V a plane which extends on 'th-e `forward face olf capI, extndsthrough the `follower 2'8 when the magazine is vcompletelyV loaded, `so that the element I3, as well as spring I3, are locatedrearv/ard ofSuChplane. As shown in saidfiglure, Athe distance' between such plane and y'the,p'ositioned missile 34h isi'nor'e than three times l'the-length ofthe calibered zone df the bore. Obviously,V the Velement! must travel this distance-in order to reachthe positioned missile and 'through lthe poiver "provided lby `sp`fring FIS, Tand must' make its Contact with' suilcient `power "as -to pidduce "the l"desired 'projection of 'the "missilejthe latter being providedby the impact oi cap I4 with the positioned missile.

l This resultis obtained because `cf certainconditin's produced bec'ause'of 'such length. For instance," thisdist'dnce' length also' represents 'the fd'istanc'e which'the spring IS 'canexpandwhen its tension Vis areleased through trigger release. Hence, spring f8 may bema'de with many convolutions and thus be capable fof expanding even "greater distances `without liability 'of overstretching v'ordar'nage Actually, the spring IB in the 'presentinvention is notiullyexpanded ai-jthe time 'of 'im-pact, althcu'gh`material expansicn'is "had in covering "thenistance YSuch expansion, "hot/'everyis more in'the'nature'ofa developing cycle, it being understood, ofcoursathat in' the "cocked positiony of element I-3` the` spring i8 is Aunder' maximum contraction.

The short length oaf element AI3 makes' it of comparatively light weight, but the fact that itis under restraint of fthetri'gger compelsthe ispr-ing'iinltially zto overcome `the #inertia of 'the .4 element when the trigger is released, thus beginning -the elementadvande "afterward th'e'element is in motion. While Vthe `tensile "po`W`er of the spring decreases as it expands, the decrease is at such rate that the speed of advance of element Iv3-is being accelerated, reaching its peak yduring Y'the latter part of the advance, at which time itsmomntum is an active factor in producing the speed and tends to maintain the accelerated speed, with the result that the impact is produced under the accelerated speed conditions. In other words, the impact value is produced through the combined action of the expanding spring "and the momentum `factor developed vby Vsuch expansionA and lin thepr'ese'nce of `'the decreasingpo-Wer Avalue off'thespringMas it expandsthe developing acc'elfation`producing themornentum values.

i It will also be understood thattheplung'ercp Alili-may be made of any suitablesubstanceharder than rubber an'd'may'for'm'an integral 'pa'rtof vthe-plunger. "Also, the "shot `Ior `ball's 1M 'may be made of anysuitable material ofaresilientfcharacte'r in the event Vthatsofter ammunitionor shot is desired. y A

'While the preferred embodiment 'of 'the' instant invention has vbeen illustrated 'and described, 'it will lbe `'understood that 'it `iis "not intended 'to limit the Vscope of the invention'v thereto,"ars many minor 'changes 'in detail 'of c'onstructionmay be resorted to Without departure" from the spirit of the' invention. Y

Having thus described my invention,"what I 'claim 'as new rand desire to'secure 'by Letters Patent of the United States is: g

In "a semi-'automatic 'toy pistol, a barrel having a projector bore formed 'therein-a 4vspring projected plunger 'slidable in'sai'd bore, "a magarzine bore formed beneath"andparallel to"s"ai`d projector'bore, and a trigger lrelease for Said plunger comprising a U-shaped" member pivotally mounted at the inner end -of said-"magazine bore', the upper leg ofsaid U-shapedr'rierriberextending inwardly a substantial distancebetvlee'n-said projector Yand magazine 'boresA and having a Ahook element prcjectingrinto-the upperlbore selectively engageable with said plungerfthe.--lowerleg of said U-shaped member extending inwardly beneath and normally substantially parallel "to said magazine bore,-a downwardly inclined nger projection atthe end of-said lower leg, and-spring means engaging said trigger release` to normally hold said hook elementin engagementwithsaid plunger.

ILLIAM-F-LAUGHLIN.

REFERENCES CITED The 'following'references are of record in "the lle f 'this 'paft'll'b Z UNITED STATES PATENTS 

